After an awful 2016 campaign, the new-look 49ers are hoping for more success in 2017. Staff photo by Connor Van Ligten.
By Connor Van Ligten
The 2016 49ers season was one of the worst seasons in recent Niner history. Just two years removed from the Harbaugh era, the Chip Kelly-led Niners struggled with almost every facet of football as they fumbled their way to a dismal 2-14 season. After that dismal excuse for a reason, the franchise saw massive change in leadership. Chip Kelly was shown the door, and to the joy of many Niner fans, general manager Trent Baalke was given the proverbial pink slip.
In a move that came out of absolutely nowhere, NFL Legend and future Hall of Famer John Lynch was named the new general manager of the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator from the Falcons who engineered a historically dominant offense (and also the greatest collapse in Super Bowl history), was named as San Francisco’s next head coach almost immediately after Super Bowl 51.
During free agency, the 49ers neglected to use their massive cap space on big name free agents. Colin Kaepernick, who has been the 49ers’s main quarterback since 2012, opted out of his contract and became a free agent. Despite all of the rumors of trading for Kirk Cousins, the front office decided to sign Brian Hoyer due to his familiarity with Shanahan’s offensive scheme. For the same reason, the Niners also brought in wide receiver Pierre Garcon. Kyle Juszczyk, one of the most dynamic fullbacks in the league, was also signed.
During the draft, the 49ers made waves after trading down from the second pick with the Bears and selecting Solomon Thomas, defensive end from Stanford, and also trading back into the end of the first round to grab Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, who fell due to injury and character concerns.
Offense:
As of the writing of this story, the 49ers offense has seen a massive roster turnover on the offensive side of the ball, which is a very good sign considering their offense last year was nearly completely devoid of any talent or playmakers. Brian Hoyer may not be Tom Brady or even Kirk Cousins, but his accuracy and vision are something the 49ers have seriously lacked in the past few years.
C.J. Beathard, Iowa QB was initially met with confusion by experts upon his selection in the third round, but impressed fans with his toughness during the preseason, securing the backup quarterback spot over Matt Barkley.
In the run game, Carlos Hyde is looking to be productive and stay healthy this season, but pay attention to undrafted running back Matt Breida from Georgia Southern, who made waves during training camp and preseason, beating out 4th round pick Joe Williams and free agent signing Tim Hightower for the backup running back spot.
Pierre Garcon is the leading receiver for San Francisco, but Marquise Goodwin, mostly known for his Olympic speed before, could be poised for a breakout year. Rookie tight end George Kittle from Iowa landed the starting tight end role for the team after former TE Vance McDonald was traded to let Kittle start. The offensive line is a major concern as the lack of investment into that position during the offseason bodes poorly for the complex blocking schemes required by Shanahan’s offense. Shanahan’s offense is hard to learn and won’t be mastered this season, but it should be a welcome change from the mediocrity of the past two seasons.
Defense:
The 49ers defense was historically bad last season, allowing an NFL record 406.4 total yards per game. New defensive coordinator Robert Saleh switched the defensive front 7 from a 3-4 to a 4-3, so the defense will be going through an adjustment period this year.
The defensive front 7 should see major improvement, however. Arik Armstead will now be SF’s primary pass rusher in his 3rd year and has slimmed down in the offseason, which has paid off for him during the preseason. DeForest Buckner has been limited in the preseason due to minor injury precaution, but showed great promise last season.
In the first preseason game, Solomon Thomas was giving Kansas City quarterbacks all sorts of troubles, providing that key pass rush and run-stopping ability that the 49ers sorely lacked last year. Reuben Foster was vaulted into the starting linebacker role due to Malcolm Smith’s season-ending injury and hasn’t missed a beat. No shoulder problems to be seen, as Foster has been dishing out big hits against starters all preseason long. Navorro Bowman is back in action after last year’s heartbreaking injury. Unfortunately, the secondary has a lot of question spots. Rashard Robinson looked like a fool many times in the preseason and there are major injury concerns with the safeties Jimmie Ward and Eric Reid.
Predictions for schedule:
Week 1 vs Panthers: Win
Week 2 at Seattle: Loss
Week 3 vs Rams: Win
Week 4 at Arizona: Loss
Week 5 at Indianapolis: Win (if Andrew Luck doesn’t start)
Week 6 at Washington: Loss
Week 7 vs Cowboys: Loss
Week 8 at Philadelphia: Loss
Week 9 vs Cardinals: Win
Week 10 vs Giants: Loss
Week 12 vs Seahawks: Loss
Week 13 at Chicago: Win
Week 14 at Houston: Loss
Week 15 vs Titans: Loss
Week 16 vs Jaguars: Win
Week 17 at Los Angeles (Rams): Win
Final Record: 6-10.
The Niners aren’t going to be a playoff team this year, but their team has improved greatly. While a 6-10 record is a bit of a reach, I believe that Shanahan’s offensive scheme and the new influx of young talent will result in a fair number of competitive games for the 49ers, win or loss. A 6-10 record is not earth-shattering, but it shows that the team is headed in the right direction and has a bright future.
